The CTbites and 109 Cheese & Wine Road Trip Giveaway
From the coast of Maine, to the island of Nantucket, to the beaches of Long Island ... who doesn’t love a great summer road trip? As we downshift into the slower and warmer final weeks of summer, CTbites wants to know, what are some of your favorite road trip destinations?
Comment on this post sharing one or more of your favorite summer road trip destinations for a chance to win a picnic basket from 109 Cheese and Wine filled with cheese, wine and charcuterie from the Ridgefield cheese and wine shop. This basket is a $225 value.
The giveaway ends on July 31. We will randomly select a winner and notify you via email. Please be sure to comment with your email address so we may contact you. The basket, which will be similar to the one pictured above, will need to be picked up at 109 Cheese & Wine on a mutually agreed-upon date in August 2012.
About 109 Cheese & Wine
109 Cheese & Wine is owned by Monica and Todd Brown, who are dedicated to bringing a curated selection of the best cheese, charcuterie and wine from around the corner to around the world to Fairfield County. They are located at The Marketplace at Copps Hill at 109 Danbury Road in Ridgefield, CT next door to Ross Bread, Ridgefield Organics and the Cake Box. For more information, visit 109cheeseandwine.com/picnic.
Cheese, Giveaway, Ridgefield, Road Trip
Reader Comments (53)
The best summer road trip destinations are spots to enjoy the outdoors and a picnic with friends! Road trips to hike Sleeping Giant in Hamden, attending Shakespeare on the Sound, Greenwich Polo tailgates, and up to Mystic are all terrific and it's difficult to pick a favorite! I also love to travel a bit further, road trips to Maine, enjoying "the way life should be" are great, but we're really lucky to have so many wonderful destinations in Connecticut and beautiful routes, such as the Merritt, to follow!
Quebec City, Canada, is a culinary extravaganza at a fraction of the total cost of a trip to Europe!
My husband grew up on the Cape, so we go there for a week every summer. Our favorite day is a trip out to Nauset Outer Beach. Only 4-wheel drive vehicles can make the trek, but it's worth driving along the winding, sandy dunes out to the beach. Once there, it's like you're in another world. No civilization, just surf and seals. The lighting at dusk is unbelievably beautiful, with the moisture from the sea creating a haze. We go with friends who still live on the Cape and bring a portable grill for fish or meat, fresh clams (caught that morning!), wine, beer, whatever we feel like. Good times for kids and adults. Definitely put the Outer Beach on your list of summer day trips... it's so gorgeous!
Portland, ME has an excellent selection of restaurants, and they are known for sourcing local and seasonal products. There's also an excellent brewery in town: Shipyard!
Some favorites in Litchfield County:
1) Woodridge Lake in Goshen
2) Lake Waramaug in New Preston: Hopkins Inn and Vineyard. Great place to have lunch overlooking the lake. Feels like you’re in a different country.
3) West Street in Litchfield: Small boutique shops, a local art gallery and some great restaurants
4) Bantam Lake and Arethusa Ice Cream Shop
5) White Flower Farm in Litchfield
6) Mayflower Inn & Spa: Washington
7) Bridge and Main Street: Kent (nice shops and restaurants)
I love a combo road/ferry trip out to North Fork on Long Island! Bridgeport to Port Jeff Ferry runs about every hour and then a leisurely drive thru sleepy North shore towns of Miller Place, Southhold , etc. stopping at a few of the over 30 LI vineyards, like Pindar, and DuckWalk for tastings and a picnic.
If an overnight is planned the Shinn Estate Farmhouse is the only Inn-in-Vineyard and you can even sign up for a weekend of working in the vineyard, tastings and home cooked meals.
Check out the wineries and events planned on this website:
http://www.liwines.com
Cape Ann, Massachusetts! My family went ever summer for a couple weeks. Some of our favorites up there Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Hammond Castle in Gloucester, Bearskin Neck in Rockport, Castle Hill and Crane Beach in Ipswich, and Seven Seas Whale Watches out of Gloucester! But the farthest my husband and I have ever driven JUST FOR FOOD has been to visit Chocolate Springs Cafe...worth the drive all the way to Lenox, MA! MIND BLOWING DESSERTS.
Our favorite short road trip this summer has been Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden. Great, easy hike and lots of room at the top for a picnic lunch.
I love Duryea's Lobster Deck & Fish Market in Montauk,NY. The excellent food paired with the water view is spectacular in any season but especially summer. I have to go at least once or twice every summer to feel complete.It is BYOB so you can pack your favorite wine,beer or cocktail. If you can go during sunset it is the most beautiful spot in Montauk.I have not even mentioned the amazing lobster rolls and clam chowder also the same sweetl lady in the kitchen year after year.Her smile alone keeps us coming back.
Well, it's not really a road trip and it's always summer but....
Once upon a time, I would pack a bottle of wine, some cheese and bread and fruit, take the boat across Pillsbury Sound, hitch a ride with a friendly taxi driver named Gaston, cut through the property of a sleepy luxury hotel and arrive at a stunning deserted beach called Honeymoon and lunch in the company of some amiable stingrays. It was the best.
I'm originally from Maine so I still have a lot of family there. Coincidentally, my boyfriend's family, from Connecticut, has always loved Maine and have vacationed there for decades. They have a wonderful summer home on a small island on Sebago Lake.
We love going to Maine and "making the rounds:" spending time in Portland dining at some magnificent restaurants in the little foodie city, visiting my family close by, and visiting his family on the island. It's a great getaway full of different activities and getting to see people we love!
My mom and I took a road trip to Plymouth, Massachusetts and it was wonderful! The drive is not bad and is totally worth it. We visited the Plimoth Plantation first and it was a wonderful experience. The re-creation of villages and the Mayflower II are definitely worth seeing. We of course then had to see Plymouth Rock. My mom and I love history and so the historical aspect of Plymouth was definitely our favorite part. Walking along the pier was peaceful and beautiful and it rounded out our day perfectly. I definitely recommend a day trip to Plymouth!
Finger Lakes Region of New York! In making a pit stop on our way to Niagara Falls (which makes for another awesome road trip!), we discovered the beauty and charm of this area. There are amazing natural attractions to take in like lakes and waterfalls, great restaurants and quaint shopping areas. And of course you can't forget about the wine!! The area is home to dozens of wineries, including one of my favorites, Bully Hill! What's not to love??
Guernsey State Park in Wyoming. Almost every campsite is a private beach cove on the reservoir!
We road-tripped up to New London and took the ferry across to the north fork of Long Island. We then spent 3 days winding down the coast hitting wineries before taking the Bridgeport ferry back home. It was a great way to spend a long weekend!
Newport, RI!! Love it there! :)
I grew up in Ketchum Idaho and there is no bettter roadtrip in my "unbiased" opinion. There are hundreds of activities from swimming/golf/tennis, to hiking, biking, and rafting. Check it out!
Nothing better than Boston in the summer and the quick trips to Maine and the Cape and Islands!
We just returned from a really long summer road trip! 13 hours to Chicago! We stopped at some lovely places and loved visiting friends and family in Chicago!
One of my favorite places is Block Island!
The best road trips are sometime local, from Westport to Ridgefield, a quick stop at 109 to pick up a picnic basket full of amazing cheese and meats then head over to Ballard park for a concert with some good friends and my lovely wife for her 40th birthday.
We love the ride up Connecticut's Route 7 through Fairfield and Litchfield counties - especially when it ends at the races at Lime Rock - especially over Labor Day weekend when the classic cars run! Nothing sounds like summer more than Ferraris on the track!
Somewhere I love to go is Lewes, Delaware. It has beautiful beaches, great food, and is a short distance from Rehobeth Beach where they have a wonderful boardwalk. Definitely a great family destination.
The last road trip we took and really enjoyed was up to Williamstown, MA. The Orchards hotel was lovely, and we found all kinds of great restaurants in the area to sample. I had the best fish & chips I've ever tasted (so fresh!) at a local pub and a truly memorable/inventive breakfast across the Vermont border at Blue Benn diner! We also really enjoyed visiting MassMoCA - the Sol Lewitt exhibit is spectacular - and it's there through 2033!
Have to agree with Terry here. Take Rt. 8 to Torrington (Ex. 41, I think), then take local routes through Litchfield center, Goshen, and Sharon to Lime Rock. It's an excellent trip with gorgeous New England sights.
I took a great drive up the Taconic Parkway to Saratoga Springs a while back. There are some great views off the Taconic, and the road itself is entertaining and lightly trafficked.